The Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) will be entitled to propose the organization of polling stations abroad, beside the ones at diplomatic missions, and the Romanian nationals residing abroad will have the possibility to vote at any polling station organized outside the country’s borders, on additional lists, the Minister-delegate for Romanians Abroad, Maria Ligor, said on Wednesday.
“We have adopted today, under an emergency ordinance, amendments to the regulations for the organization of the general election to the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. (…) We mean that besides the possibility of organizing polling places at the diplomatic missions, namely embassies, consulates or cultural institutes, and also of organizing polling places at the request of 100 voters registered with this option in the Electoral Roll, we have also created the possibility of polling places where previously there used to be a significant presence of Romanian nationals. These polling stations will be integrated with the final list of polling stations for the Diaspora, which is to be set by the Permanent Electoral Authority,” explained Maria Ligor at a news conference.
She mentioned that in connection with the additional lists, the main concern that existed previously related to the fact that one could have cast a double or multiple vote no longer holds, since voter identification is currently electronically checked, so that multiple voting can no longer exist.
The minister added that the ordinance also provides for the possibility of persons demanding registration with the Electoral Roll submitting the applications and copies of the proof of domicile or residence abroad to the embassies or consulates by email.